Like all good overfunctioners, Lois was convinced that sharing her struggles and vulnerability with Brian was absolutely out of the question. (“I would never tell Brian that I was depressed; I have absolutely no desire to do so and he has more than enough problems of his own.” “Brian can’t deal with my feelings.” “Why burden him; there is no way he can be helpful to me.”) The relationship between Lois and Brian was extremely polarized, with Brian expressing only his weakness and Lois only her competence. If Lois wants to shift the old pattern, she can present a more balanced picture of herself
...more
